Michigan – A Michigan woman was taken into custody over the weekend and arraigned on a single feIony count of mansIaughter in the death of her 11-year-old ad0pted chiId, MiaIah, Michigan authorities said. The parent, 55-year-old S. Laek, was taken into custody at the scene and is being held in the county jail with bond set at $100,000, the prosecutor’s office said.
Police and emergency responders went to a home on Sunday evening after a 911 call reporting an unresponsive child. Responders found the child unconscious and not breathing; attempts to revive her were unsuccessful and she was later pronounced dead, officials said.
Prosecutors say the charge followed statements attributed to the parent and the evidence gathered by investigators. During court proceedings the county prosecutor’s office told the judge that the mother admitted siting on the child for an extended period of time to restrain her after the child had been acting out, and that the office expects the medical examiner’s preliminary findings to show suffocation as the cause of death. The mother also pleaded not guilty at arraignment and was ordered to have no contact with children while the case moves forward.
Police described the investigation as active and continuing. Detectives from the local police department worked with the County Prosecutor’s Office to review the 911 call, statements taken at the home and the medical examiner’s report, which had been completed but not publicly released at the time of the arraignment. Prosecutors said they were awaiting final autopsy and toxicology results before making further determinations. Investigators are also coordinating with Child Protective Services and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to review the family’s history and any prior reports.
Court records and statements from the prosecutor’s office said the two children involved were siblings and had been adopted by the parent seven years ago after their biological mother’s parental rights were terminated. After the victim’s death, the surviving child — described by officials as nonverbal and having significant medical needs — was removed from the home and taken into medical care; Child Protective Services filed a petition to terminate any parental rights regarding the surviving child as the agency completed its safety review. Prosecutors said early signs of medical neglect involving the other twin were among factors being examined.
Neighbors and relatives have given varying accounts to local news outlets. Some neighbors told reporters they had seen rough interactions between the parent and the children in the past. Members of the victim’s extended family, including a grandfather and an aunt, spoke publicly after the arraignment, saying they had trusted the woman as the girls’ adoptive mother and describing the death as preventable. Those family statements were part of the public record surrounding the case but do not replace the formal investigative findings that prosecutors and law enforcement are compiling.
Court dates were scheduled as part of the normal criminal process; prosecutors said additional charges could be filed depending on the autopsy results and the outcome of the child welfare review. The County Prosecutor’s Office indicated the case would be evaluated further as they received lab reports and additional investigative information. Anyone with relevant information was asked by the local police department to contact investigators.